Councilman starts city cleanup effort

Friday

Mar 26, 2010 at 12:01 AM

By Lydia Seabol AvantStaff Writer

NORTHPORT | Abandoned houses, litter and graffiti are a problem in certain sections of Northport — so City Councilman Jay Logan has started a cleanup initiative in his district that will span the next few months. “I ride through my district two or three times a week, just trying to identify areas that can be improved and know the problem spots,” Logan said. Two weeks ago, he and a group of volunteers painted over graffiti on a wall behind the Piggly Wiggly grocery store on Lurleen Wallace Boulevard North. Last week, more than 50 volunteers helped Northport residents Abby and Adam Pierce create a community park on 30th Street. Logan hopes to next focus on picking up litter and doing yard maintenance at Rice’s Hill cemetery, one of the oldest predominantly black cemeteries in Northport. “I want the community to take part and take pride in where they live,” said Logan, who represents District 2. “We are trying to clean up our neighborhoods and businesses and have the initiative last through the summer.”A major part of the initiative is condemning and tearing down abandoned and dilapidated homes. About 10 homes in District 2 have been identified for condemnation, Logan said. The process is a lengthy one that can take up to six months, said City Planner Katherine Ennis. “Once the homes are identified, the owners have to be notified, then they have the opportunity to bring the house up to code,” Ennis said. If the house is not brought up to code, it will be torn down. The owner must pay for the demolition and a lien is placed on the property to ensure payment. Contacting property owners can sometimes take a while, considering some properties have been inherited and the owners sometimes live elsewhere, Logan said. The city’s planning and zoning department will soon discuss ways the condemnation process can be expedited, Ennis said.